


Back in Black

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe-Bad End Paladins, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-07 02:52:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11614371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: Shiro returns, and everyone around him is off. His replacement, someone who claims he will unite the universe, is to blame. How can Shiro fight the Galra Empire when his Paladins are loyal generals to the prince? [cw for brainwashing and some violence, and non-consensual drug use. AU, assume spoilers for S3, Shiro/Keith heavily implied]





	1. Chapter 1

Title: Back in Black  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith (more implied atm)  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Brainwashing, canon compliant violence, non-consensual drug use. This isn’t what I’d call a dark fic, but the kids are gonna have a rough time for awhile.  
Notes: I was totally planning on writing some fluffy one shots, but I’ve had this hc/hope that Lotor will brainwash Keith to be evil in S3, which eventually extended to the other Paladins, which led to this fic. AU for S3.

\--

**_BEWARE_ **

Shiro woke up screaming, nerves on fire. He had no idea where he was, only that he hurt, and that the lights were **too bright**. He shaded his eyes with his metal hand, trying to collect himself. He… they all had been fighting Zarkon, and they were winning, but then…

**_BEWARE_ **

He groaned as panic/nausea nearly overwhelmed him. Before the voice was unfamiliar, but now… now he knew. It’d thrown him off at first, since she only used images to talk before, but it was the Black Lion. And she was in pain as well.

He had to get up. Shiro forced his eyes open, and he was in his old room on the ship. Strange. After some effort, he got up, and hit his helmet’s comm. “Princess?” He could barely recognize his voice. Shiro waited one, two, three ticks, but there was only radio silence. “Anyone?”

This was bad. Between the Black Lion and no one answering his call, it was clear that whatever threat they faced, it was on the ship. Bracing himself for battle, Shiro prepared to sneak out his door and into the air ducts so he’d have the element of surprise, but Hunk greeted him at the door.

“Shiro!” Hunk’s eyes were bright and watery as he grabbed Shiro in a tight hug. “I—how did you—you know what, I don’t care. You’re home!”

**_DON’T TRUST HIM_ **

“It’s good to be home,” Shiro said, hoping that for once he could lie his way through a situation. He wasn’t sure if he could ever not trust Hunk, but… Hunk’s posture was a little too rigid. His hug was a little too rough. And the Black Lion, unfortunately, had experience with Paladins who had gone rogue. But it was still **Hunk** , smiling through his tears, and he still had no idea where the others were.

**_DON’T TRUST ANYONE!!!_ **

_I won’t,_ he assured the Black Lion, _but I need to know what’s happened to my friends._ “Hunk, could you tell me where everyone is? Or how long I was missing?” He supposed that was what happened.

Hunk paused, as if he was debating what to say, as he led Shiro down the corridor. “About a month, I think. Maybe two? None of us have been checking our calendars lately.”

“I hear that.” Shiro managed a smile. “Is everyone okay?” Hunk still hadn’t answered that.

Hunk flinched, but kept walking. “Shiro. Some things have changed—”

Lance charged Shiro, grabbing him in a hug.

“But Lance’s need for affection has not,” Hunk chuckled as Lance clung to Shiro for dear life. 

“Aw, geez, Shiro, do you **like** just reappearing at the weirdest moments?” Lance’s voice was rough with sorrow as he refused to let go.

**_DON’T TRUST HIM_ **

“I don’t, but I’m not complaining about being back,” Shiro said as he broke away just enough to get a look at Lance, and geez, something really was wrong. Things were still fuzzy, but he did not remember Lance having a black eye. “Lance, what happened?”

Lance blinked as much as he could. “Whaddya mean?”

“Who gave you this?” Shiro’s metal fingers hovered hear the swollen eye.

“Oh. Um. A fight, I guess? We’ve been really busy, Shiro.”

If the Black Lion hadn’t tipped him off, Shiro would have suspected something now. Lance was a good kid, but like a lot of good kids, like to brag about the big fight he was in. Something had happened—heavy battles wearing them down, or maybe… maybe they’d lost someone.

He had no idea where Keith was.

And he would if he panicked right now, Shiro reminded himself as he clamped down on every bad feeling. “Okay. Well, maybe you can help catch me up and Coran can—”

“Coran is gone,” Hunk said quickly.

“Oh.” That would… that would explain things. But Hunk and Lance weren’t acting like most people would when they were discussing their surrogate father’s death. They seemed angry, and tired. There must’ve been a falling out.

He decided not to push it, following Lance and Hunk to the meeting room. But if Coran was gone, then Allura was most likely gone as well—so there was no point in asking about her. “So, who’s in charge while I was gone?” In theory, it would be Keith, but nothing felt right, so he wasn’t going to assume.

Lance glanced at Shiro guiltily. “The new Black Paladin.”

… Of course. If he was gone for so long, they would replace him. The mission came first. He understood.

**_I STILL NEED YOU_ **

_And I still need you,_ he assured Black as relief welled up in him. Okay, the Black Lion wanted to stay with him, but this also meant that whoever had succeeded him as Paladin was not to be trusted. “We’re all on the same team, Lance. I would like to meet the new leader of Voltron, though.”

“Oh, he’s so great, Shiro!” Hunk chirped. “He could have just kept having adventures with his generals, but he’s been helping us unite the universe!”

Wait. Generals? But what potential Paladin would… 

The doors swished open, revealing a young Galran man where Allura had once stood. “Shiro, meet the new Black Paladin, Prince Lotor!” Hunk said with the same warmth when he announced to the team that dinner was ready. 

Shiro had no memories of this Lotor, but he remembered whisperings of a royal that had no true claim to the throne, so he planned to assume power through manipulation and brutality. He assumed a defensive stance, hand glowing. “My friends and I are leaving, Lotor.”

Lotor’s smile was disarming. His posture, however, was that of a warrior. “Shiro, please. My Paladins have told me so much about you. With you assisting us, you can help me stop the gladiator, free those poor souls—”

“Enough!” He’d done something to Lance and Hunk, so he didn’t want to fight if he could avoid it. “We are leaving.”

Lotor’s smile fell. “I tried. But like my father, you lust for the Black Lion has corrupted you.” He glanced at Lance, then Hunk. “Paladins. Escort Shiro to the brig. I’ll interrogate him there.”

Lance and Hunk looked at Lotor, then Shiro, then each other… and then readied their Bayards.

“C’mon, Shiro. It’ll be okay,” Lance whispered guiltily.

“Please don’t make me hurt you.” Hunk’s voice oozed guilt.

Lance and Hunk were a duo, which meant that Shiro needed to stop one, and now. He opted for Lance, who was easily distracted. He pretended to do a big, fancy move—and then hit Lance in the gut, only hard enough for him to pass out. He flinched as energy sizzled near his shoulder, and Hunk was roaring/crying that he’d betrayed them. Shiro pushed the guilt back as he dodged, then dodged, and noticed that Lotor was only observing—and was so busy observing that Shiro was able to sneak up behind him, using him as a shield.

“Hunk.” Shiro’s Galra hand was scorching, and close to Lotor’s neck. “Take Lance. We’re going.”

Lotor scoffed. “Hunk, you and I both know he’s bluffing. He won’t hurt me, because I would make Pidge hurt you.”

… Change of plan. Shiro threw Lotor at Hunk with all of his strength, and broke into a run. He couldn’t save them, not right now. He needed to get to his Lion and go, and find anyone who could help him save his friends. Otherwise, he’d end up like them.

Pidge’s voice was on the comm, yelling at Hunk and Lotor where he was. Shiro did his best to ignore how ragged her voice sounded, how she sounded as defeated as Matt when they were being forced to fight. He would save her. He would save all of them. If he could just turn off—

Pidge’s voice died in a crackle. Shiro looked up, and Platt waved at him, next to a chewed bunch of wires, fellow Space Mice behind him.

“Thank you,” he breathed. Platt nodded, and scurried off with his friends.

He made a sharp left, taking a shortcut to the hanger that he and Keith had discovered when they’d investigated the castle on a night that Shiro couldn’t sleep. Only they (and probably Allura and Coran) knew about it.

… And there she was, Black, waiting for him all this time. He was so thrilled to see her again, he didn’t register that the Blue Lion was missing, at least not until **_YOU CAN’T_** raged in his head.

_But… how am I supposed to escape?_

**_WAIT_ **

… He wasn’t going to wait alone, Shiro realized, as Keith appeared from the shadows surrounding the Red Lion, Bayard ready.

“Keith.” He couldn’t fight Keith. He wouldn’t. He’d known Keith for years; he was the most loyal man Shiro had ever met. If he could just talk to him… “It’s me. I’m back. Let’s find Allura, and we can save our family.” 

Keith looked at him, and put his Bayard away. “Shiro.” He looked so tiny, cast against the Lions. Fragile. But he was strong, in every sense of the world… something which was reinforced as he put his weapon away. “But Lotor said that—”

“Whatever it was, he lied.” This was why Black told him to wait. So he would at least save Keith. He wanted to hold Keith until every horrible thing Lotor did to him was just a memory, but now was not the time. “I’m willing to bet my bond to the Black Lion is stronger than Lotor’s.”

“Perhaps, but it’s nowhere near as strong as my bond with the Paladins.” Lotor, blast him, was in the hanger. “Remember how he left you, Keith? How he gave up on you?”

… Shiro was going to kill Lotor.

But not before Keith tried to kill him, snarling, sword ready. There was no real strategy in his attack—just fury and desperation, and Shiro hated Lotor for reducing Keith to this—and then he was on the ground, Keith’s boot on his chest.

“You got soft, Shirogane,” Keith muttered. “And all threats the unification of the universe must die.” 

**_NOW_**

The Blue Lion burst into the hanger, causing enough of a stir that Keith and Lotor were knocked down. Neither got up.

“Shiro!” Allura’s voice boomed over the Blue Lion’s comm. “Hurry!”

“I’ll come back for you, Keith. I promise.” Shiro hated himself as he escaped into the Lion, leaving all of his friends with a monster.

Leaving Keith with a monster.

\--

“Shiro.” Allura was in pink armor, and too busy piloting to give him a hug, but she offered him a watery smile. “It’s good to see you, although I wish our reunion was under different circumstances.”

“Believe me, I feel the same way.” Suddenly exhausted, Shiro leaned against the back of the pilot seat. “Allura, what happened?”

“Lotor happened.” Allura’s voice was pure steel. “He assured us that he’d seen the power of the Voltron Alliance, and unlike his father, realized working with us than against us was in everyone’s benefit. He claimed that he wanted to help us root out corrupt Galra officers… and I was foolish enough to believe him.”

“Don’t blame yourself. I was gone. You needed a fifth Paladin.”

“I was naïve. I saw his quest to undo his father’s mistakes similar to my own.”

He placed a hand on Allura’s shoulder. “If you think like that, Lotor wins. We’re both feeling guilty, but the best thing to do is fight, and rescue our friends.”

Allura almost smiled. “I did so miss your inspirational speeches, Shiro.”

Shiro almost smiled back. “Hopefully, I can come up with one that gets four brainwashed young people to defect.”

\--

The former Black Paladin had been gone for ages, but Keith couldn’t bring himself from the floor. “He left me.”

“Yes, he did, like everyone else in your life.” Lotor smiled serenely, offering Keith a hand up. “Except for me, of course.”

“No.” Keith wouldn’t look at him, eyes hazy and far away. “No, Shiro would never give up on me.”

Lotor hmm-ed sadly, and with his free hand, uncapped the small vial of mist Haggar had made for him to keep the Paladins docile. It had been made specifically for Humans, so Keith’s Galran blood was making controlling him difficult. He had to use more. “Really? Because as soon as the Princess arrived, he chose his safety over yours. Such a man doesn’t deserve your loyalty.”

“… You’re right,” Keith’s tone was dull, obedient. He stood up, eyeing Lotor levelly. “Next time, sire, I’ll bring you his head.”

\--

Final Notes: I cannot guarantee a set schedule s2s since school is starting up, but I’ll try to get the next chapter out soon. @_@ I’m almost definitely going to use characters, elements, etc. from S3 when it drops, so there will be spoilers for that. Also, if it turns out that canon Lotor is really different from what I’m doing here, I’ll re-write parts of this chapter/fic. PS, I assure you, Coran is not dead! He'll be in chapter 2.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Back in Black (2/?)  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith (more implied atm), Allura/Kolivan  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Brainwashing, canon compliant violence, non-consensual drug use. This isn’t what I’d call a dark fic, but the kids are gonna have a rough time for awhile.  
Notes: Chapter 2, aka "Look, Coran's okay!"

\--

They weren’t safe yet. Allura and Blue had helped Siro escape from the Castle, and the last time Shiro had seen them, Lotor and… and Keith were unconscious. But Keith was strong—Shiro could see him attacking in Red. Not to mention the others. And the one person capable of creating wormholes was currently flying the Blue Lion. “Allura, how are we going to get away from the ship?”

“If Slav did his job correctly, very soon,” Allura said to herself more than Shiro. A tick after that, a (small, less than stable, but preferable to staying within the ship’s firing range) wormhole appeared. 

“We’re all staying at a Blade safe house. They’ve been invaluable in our efforts.” Allura’s voice was soft. “I am glad that you took that chance with Ulaz after all.” 

“I am, too,” Shiro managed, trying not to think too hard about how Ulaz was yet another friend he couldn’t save. He couldn’t afford the luxury of guilt. He’d failed his team. He refused to fail them again.

\--

“Princess Allura.” Kolivan bowed deeply. “I’m glad you’re safe.” He glanced at Shiro. “And you’ve rescued the true Black Paladin.”

Allura nodded, removing her helmet. Her bun was messy. “Next time, we’ll rescue the other four. Now, I need to go power up the charge so we’ll have a proper wormhole next time—”

“I’m sorry, but no, Princess,” Kolivan came to his feet. “You’ve exerted yourself too much as it is; it’s not safe.”

“Wait,” Shiro interjected. “What’s going on?”

“We’re down to one Lion, and her Paladin is, well, you most likely saw Lance in his current condition.” Allura wiped at her eyes almost violently. “I was lucky that Blue was willing to work with me to save her Paladin—but this means that I can’t stay and create wormholes on demand anymore.” She gave Kolivan a look as she led the men down a corridor. “So I’ve been storing my quintessence in a battery that Slav created. It’s not perfect, but it’s helped us keep the Alliance together.”

“I see. But I agree with Kolivan,” Shiro said. “You’re going to need your rest if we’re going to save the others.”

Allura stopped mid-step, turning around to face Shiro, right hand on her hip. “Are you going to rest?”

Her gaze was piercing, and he had to look away. “I probably had a nap wherever I was.”

“Don’t listen to her, she’s trying to avoid the real problem,” Kolivan huffed, and despite everything, Shiro noted how gruffly tender Kolivan’s tone was. “Princess, you need to take care of yourself—and yes, I know King Alfor said you must make sacrifices, but I refuse to let your life be among them.”

Allura… smiled at that. “I’ve learned that he’s a worrier in the month you’ve been gone,” she said to Shiro. “But perhaps you’re right, Kolivan. Maybe just a small nap.”

Kolivan was about to say something, but then Coran burst in, hugging Allura, and then Shiro. “Shiro, Princess! Thank the ancients you’re all safe!”

“Because you keep everything running tip-top, Coran,” Allura replied, hugging him back. Shiro let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. After everything that had happened, it was good to know that some things—in this case, Coran’s devotion to the Princess—endured.

\--

“None of us took your loss very well, Shiro. Especially Keith.” Allura was resting, and Kolivan was talking to Slav, which meant that Coran had the time to make Shiro a meal in a small, but neat kitchen. A Blade’s safe house couldn’t compare to the Castle, but it would do. “Um, this is awkward, even for me, but were… are you two…?”

“It’s complicated,” Shiro admitted. There was something between him and Keith. He’d been vaguely aware of it back at the Garrison. And it had grown into a connection that he couldn’t specify just yet, but could feel its power. “But I do care for him.”

Coran nodded. “He was acting the way King Alfor did when the Queen passed away.” He twirled his spoon in the goo, an overwhelming sound what was otherwise dead silence. “And of course, we couldn’t form Voltron.”

“Of course.” 

“And then we heard about this Prince Lotor ruling in Zarkon’s stead. But he’s different—at least we thought so. He removed generals who harmed the weak. Then he started working out treaties with worlds that had rebelled against the Galra Empire.” Coran took a sip of space juice. “‘You’ve earned the right to be treated as a full member of the universe, not just a colony.’ Those were his exact words. And then he contacted us. He wanted to work with Voltron, come to some sort of peace.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Shiro wasn’t in the mood for eating. “Princess Allura would never—”

“Shiro, we were desperate. But you’re right. After some heated discussion, Keith went off to talk to Lotor alone to see what his real intentions were, and blast me, I should have gone with him.” Shiro had never seen Coran look so tired. “Next thing Allura and I know, he’s telling the Paladins to join him—and then they attack the ship, because the ‘new, true Black Paladin’ has arrived or some rubbish like that.” He sighed heavily. “Allura managed to get us to Blue, and explained things to her. That’s how we escaped.”

“I’m sorry.” What else could Shiro say? It was another time that he couldn’t help his friends—his family—when he needed, and he couldn’t even remember where he’d been. Why did Black even… well, it was something to ask when he rescued her.

“Shiro, we all messed up.” Coran scrubbed at his mustache, eyes dark. “All we can do right now is rest up. We’re meeting with Ryner next quintant—she’s going to help us come up with some way to de-evil the other Paladins.”

“I don’t want to rest.” He’d been away from the battle long enough. “I need to—”

“Shiro.” Coran stared him right in the eyes. “In the past month, the castle my family helped built was stolen by the son of man who murdered my people. The princess who I swore to protect had to save my life when we fled, more than once. The young people I’ve come to think of as my own have been corrupted against their will. I have not felt this powerless since I realized that Altea was gone. So please,” and now there was the faintest hint of a grin, “do a… mature man a favor, and get some sleep, so I don’t have to worry about losing you again.”

“You win. But only on the condition that you rest up yourself.” Shiro got out of his chair, and helped Coran up. They walked in silence until they reached the small room (originally for storage, but as more people used the safe house, it’d been converted into a guest room) Kolivan had set aside for Shiro. “Thank you. And Coran,” Shiro smiled, a little. “We all see you as our dad figured. Especially me.”

Coran let out a proud bark of laughter. “Must be the mustache.”

Once Coran had retired to his own room, Shiro went to his—and promptly turned on his computer. He felt terribly betraying Coran’s trust like that, but he needed to know everything. Otherwise, he’d never know how to fix this. There had to be some clue. Some weakness. Maybe… maybe one of them was faking, lulling Lotor into an ambush. That wasn’t Keith’s style, but Keith was smart and adaptive. Yes, that had to be it. Surely he would be doing that, because he could never think that Shiro—that Shiro would just leave him—

All he found were a long list of the Lions attacking rebel bases. No clues. No secret code to assure Shiro that they were still there.

He willed himself not to cry. If it were anyone else, Shiro would have let them, of course—crying was a sign of strength. That you knew when you needed to get your emotions out. It was cathartic.

But that was something he didn’t deserve. Not after letting his friends down.

Instead, he would do whatever Ryner needed to him to do (and then some) to save them.

To save Keith.

\--

Keith woke up suddenly. He couldn’t remember what he’d dreamt of, but that strange feeling was washing over him, like it always did when Shiro was in trouble.

Shiro.

Almost automatically, Keith grabbed his boots and Bayard, stalking off to the training room. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Everyone left him, once they saw that he wasn’t good deep down. That they couldn’t fix him. No, Keith Kogane was damaged goods, and Shiro had been like everyone else in his life. It just took him a little longer to realize the truth.

(Once, he’d mentioned to Shiro that when he was little, his schoolmates would call him an alien, because they thought he acted weird. Shiro had scoffed, and said something about how dull people couldn’t appreciate anything unique in their lives.)

Liar. 

He set the gladiator as high as he dared. He’d lost his parents and Shiro because he was weak. Lotor was all he had left, and Keith would die before he lost him.

\--

“He’s very good,” Lotor murmured as Keith defeated the gladiator—and then promptly began again, this time three levels higher.

“Whatever.” The Green Paladin glared at him. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’ve received intel that Princess Allura will visit the Olkari world. I suspect your old friend will be there as well. Your job is to make sure they don’t leave that planet alive.” When she kept glaring, he added, “of course, I could force your brother do it.”

She looked like she wanted to punch him. “Leave Matt out of this—”

“He and his rebels think they’re so hidden. And maybe they would still be, if my generals weren’t so good at what they do.”

“Fine.” Now she looked like she wanted to vomit. “I’ll go.” Her eyes were foggy as she saluted him. “Vrepit sa.”

The Green Paladin was a unique character. She was brilliant—Lotor suspected that she was aware that they’d been coerced into service, if not secretly plotting against him. But if he even breathed a word about Matt, she fell in line. 

Still, he made sure to use a full vial of Haggar’s mist before she left. He needed to make sure that she would do as she was told. And the Green Lion wouldn’t dare rebel against him while her precious Paladin was in danger.

Lotor turned his attention to Keith. In a worst case scenario, he could always have him kill her.

\--

Final Notes: Things will improve for the Voltron kids. At some point.


End file.
